Love Hina: Once Again
by Dark Glass01
Summary: It is said that if two people spend a night together in the Forbidden Annex, its magic would allow true love to conquer any hardship, no matter how extreme. For the moment, it seems as though Naru has defeated its spell, and nothing short of a miracle could save Kanako's beloved Oni-san from her clutches. However, the blessing of the Annex can be more powerful then mortal hand...
1. Chapter 1

**Love Hina: Once More**

**Author Notes: … I never thought I would be back here, after so long. But, after rediscovering my literary muse and dusting off my manga collection, I decided this needed to be done.**

**Warning: All characters, settings, and situations are part of the Love Hina franchise and are in no way, shape, or form owned by me. Step-Incestuous thoughts and actions will be present during this story; if this disturbs you, please do not read further. Please do not read this while driving or operating heavy machinery, as the writer is not responsible for any damages that may occur as a result of being distracted by this story. Please do not read if the country and/or province you are in bans you from using the internets. Restriction apply, results may vary, not valid in New Jersey, The Northwest Territories, or any country whos name starts with the letter E.**

**Prologue **

There was a certain peace to this particular night, a late spring night haning over the sleepy, hot-springs town of Hinata. There were no loud screams coming from that dormitory on the hill; no explosion or the sickening *pop* of something breaking the sound barrier. For once, it seems, those Hinata girls and their manager had managed to tucker themselves out, giving the local residents a peace they hadn't been able to enjoy in years. After their long trip across nearly the entire expanse of Japan, all they wanted to do was sleep.

With the entire town sleeping, the only noise that could be heard was the soft chirping of crickets, and the tinkling of bells as a black figure moved through the surrounding forests, returning from its nightly stroll. Coiling its feet, the tiny creature jumped, its ears fanning out as it gracefully landed on the sill of the Hinata Teahouse window, staring up over the cliffs, past the tops of the Forbidden Annex and up into the fully, silvery moon. It took a deep breath, savoring the crisp spring air; something almost magical in the air.

However, just as it was about to curl on on the sill to sleep, its ears perked up, a strange sound breaking the silence; almost like muffled heavy breathing. Its eyes rose up at that sound, looking for the source; a thin window overhead. Leaping down, padded paws silently moving over the floor, it jumped up the stairs and into the upper hallway, tracing the sound to a slightly ajar door, using its head to gently slid it in.

Inside, huddled up on the floor was a blob of brown comforter, gently shaking in the shadows, the soft, pitiful sound escaping from it… sobbing. Her ears drooped as she approached it, eyes lowering as she realized just what was going on, circling around the futon to see a mass of black hair hanging over a pillow, tear stains leaking out from their hiding place beneath the head that made them.

"Are you alright _meow_?" Kuro asked, placing a small, soft paw on her mistress's head.

In response, the little gothic girl pulled her face out of the pillow, her red eyes, swollen from crying, a far cry from her ordinarily straight-laced appearance. Small gasping and sobbing sounds still escaped her throat, unable to stop the flood even for her closest friend. "kur…" she managed to get out before breaking into a long, loud cry, turning her head away from the cat, raising a hand to try to hide her face. "What… are… you doing here?"

Kuro looked on her mistress with concern. "I heard you from outside _meow._" She tried to look around Kanako's hand, but she just turned away again, almost ashamed. "You're still thinking about it, aren't you?"

At that, Kanako's face contorted into almost distress, yanking the comforter over herself and curling up and holding it as tightly to her body as possible, as if giving herself a hug. The waterworks broke out full-blast, a river of regrets pouring down her face as her pet crawled into her lap, trying to comfort her. "You did everything you could _meow." _She tried to explain, gently purring against her mistress's chest. "Perhaps it was just not meant to be."

Kanako shook her head furiously, trembling as she buried her head in her knees, unable to get out a coherent response. Kuro tried to comfort her, tears matting her fur together as she looked up at her friend's devastated face. "Its not fair!" she managed to choke out, forcing her had upwards towards the window, flailing her head about angrily. "He's my oni-san… MINE! The skank Naru ..she tricked me… tricked me into thinking she cared…" She pulled Kuro close to her chest, the tiny cat almost choking for a moment at the force.

"She's so strong, so pretty, so popular, so smart… she already had everything a girl could want." The sobs started to come back, the anger fading away as she tried to make sense of her emotions, petting Kuro's soft fur. "Why Kuro… why did she have take my everything? Why did she have to hurt him so much? Why aren't I good enough? Why doesn't he love me?" Her words grew more and more ragged, until they dissolved into sobbing again, Kuro deftly floating out of Kanako's grip before she would have been smashed against her knees.

"You couldn't help it, mistress." Kuro, tried to reason with her, floating like an angel at her shoulder. "He'd already fallen for her by the time you came _meow._ Even the annex coulden't break them apart." Kanako lifted up her hand, gripping hard on the finger that had once born her greatest treasure… that silver ring which had born so much hope, her life's dream come true… now all it will do is leave a deep mark whenever she abuses him.

"I should have been there…" her voice became soulless, staring blankly out into the sky, rubbing the empty spot on her finger that still bore the indent of her ring. "Oni-san was so alone… so desperate… he had to have been, to fall for that she-witch." Kuro could tell she was trying to rationalize it, trying to grasp some comfort out of a now-shattered future. "I should have never listened to mother… he needed me, not to be cast alone into this… this harem of sadists and freaks. I just… just.."

An almost deathly silence filled the room, as she just sat there, hardly even breathing, before standing up, taking slow, measured steps towards the window, the night breeze blowing through her hair, staring down at the ground, the slightest of smiles coming onto her face.

"I wonder if Oni-san likes to fly…" she said, almost like she was in a trance, her arms resting on the sill, looking up at the moon. "I never thought I could ever be as brave as he was, but now… I'm not so scared anymore."

Kuro's ears, tail, and hair stood on end as she heard this, flying towards the window as Kanako leaned further and further forward, he face softening, as if almost… peaceful. Kuro raced forward, trying to intercept her mistress before she leaned out too far, the distance almost too far to close.

However, that is when she heard the ticking.

It echoed loudly throughout the night, as though the moon itself were a giant clock tower overhead, Kanako stopping as she opened her eyes, listening to the strange sound. Kuro, settling on the windowsill, gently nudged her back as she listened herself, even her catlike ears unable to locate the source of the noise. However, then they say it; from the steeple of the Annex, bolts of dark purple energy began to crackle, a light haze forming around the building as the ancient clock magically sprung to life, counting the second and minutes… only, to add even more surprise, the hands were moving backwards, the arcs of energy growing larger and more frequent gradually, and the movements of the hands growing faster and faster. Kanako gripped at her hand, letting out a small yelp as one of the arcs sprang like a bolt from the blue, burning against her ring finger. Once she recovered from her surprise and opened her eyes, she was amazed to see that ring, perfectly in every detail, once again gracing her finger… glinting almost mischviously in the moonlight. Yet, even then, everything seemed to almost start… swimming, even Kuro's voice and pleading meows becoming hard to understand, her body beginning to become hazy…

Everything seemed fade into a uniform pool of silver light, the weight of her troubles seeming to fade off her shoulders as Kanako floating in it, gradually loosening up, feeling herself grow lighter and lighter… warmth seeming to envelop her body, and a smooth, smooth softness, all accompanied by a slow, melodic ticking… almost like a lullaby. The light slowly seemed to morph, an image forming before her of a small, worn futon, a young girl in lavender pajamas sitting in a young boy's lap, a blank pulled up over her, a vaguely feminine shape sitting in a chair next to them, looking down with a smile on her face.

"_Now, don't you two ever try to break into Grandma's special annex every again, alright? Its sealed up for a reason."_

The girl seemed to whisper something softly under her breath, almost impossible to hear, but the boy spoke up for her. _"Why did Grandma seal such a big room away? Don't people want to stay there?"_

The feminine figure shook her head, placing a hand on the boy's head. "The building is a very special place. Lots of people used to call it the Inn of Faithful Unions. If two people go inside and spend a night together, the good spirits inside will bless them with eternal love and happiness. No matter what distance is between them, no matter what it takes, the blessing of the Inn will always find a way to bring them together." This seemed to cause the girl to look up in awe, her long bangs covering most of her face, while the boy gave a clearer look of wonderment, the feminine figure opening her mouth to say something else.

However, before she could do so, she suddenly heard a low, almost shocked shout, and the vision fell away, and Kanako found herself shooting up from a laying position, breathing heavily as her eyes adjusted to the light… and her face froze.

_That mirror… that poster… that closet… those weren't there before. _She continued scanning around, unable to move any part of her body other than her neck. She found herself in an eerily familiar room; a light blue comforter laid out over her lower body, and a small nightstand to her right. A small make-up kit, posters of actresses and shows that had long since faded from the spotlight, the hem of a black dress peeking out from the slightly open closet, a short bookshelf… and a mirror. But more then that, it was the voices from the hallway; light conversation by two people she knew all too well, that made her truly frightened. Then, after all of that, her eyes settled on a mirror.

Reflected back at her was a girl with bangs far too big for her head, framed by long strands of raven-black hair, a stray antenna sticking out from the top. She chest was nearly flat, her neck thin and her mouth small...

"_Hey Keitaro, telephone!" _she heard a firm voice call from down the hall, each word piercing her ears.

"_It's from your grandmother up at Hinata." _A gentler, if still authorize voice continued, almost sounding excited.

"No… really…" her voice sounded… confused, but happy, a small moan of happiness escaping her throat, her heart soring. For the moment, she was too happy, too filled with hope, to care about the oddity of the event; the legends were true; the magic of annex had worked a miracle.


	2. Chapter 2

Kanako almost leaped out of her bed in joy, bouncing off the mattress and running to the mirror, reaching up to push her bangs out of the way and revealing her eyes, wide with joy and childlike wonder. The texture of her cloths, the scratches on the wall… everything was so perfect in every detail. She turned her head fast, looking around her old room, so excited she even started to cry a little, her heart pounding hard in her chest. _This has to be a dream… _she pinched her arm to make certain, and sure enough the pain hit, causing her to yelp for a moment in surprise. She was so overwhelmed, she fell to her knees, hurried, excited prayers going up her throat to any spirit or god she should think of.

As she fell to the ground, hitting the floor hard, she heard heavy steps in the hallway, somebody pushing her door aside and stepping in. Turning up her head, she saw a stern, concerned look; the tall, solid figure the father she hadn't seen in three years now. "Kanako… are you alright?" He asked, lowering his hand for her to grab. The feeling of his warm grip on her made her feel… awkward, but she was too happy to care, her feet bouncing with a barely contained excitement, trying to hide the massive smile she wanted to put on her face.

"I'm fine, Father…" she replied somewhat cheerfully… her disturbance over her less-mature voice sounding almost like an awkward shyness, glancing around his arm. "I just… slipped." She'd always hated the way she used to sound… so nervous, so passive, almost like she was trying to make as little a sound as possible. However, she was glad she did now, because her father didn't expect a thing, merely giving her a fairly impersonal nod. "Can I talk to Oni-chan? It's really important."

"Your brother's on the phone with Grandma Hina." He told her, placing a hand on her head as she turned away. "You're not to disturb him."

"Yes father," she found herself answering reflexively, body tightening up as he walked out of the room, Kanako walking to her closest so she could change out of her pajamas. By getting on her tip toes, she was barley able to bump up on black, gothic dress with a white under layer down and put it on, stretching and straining as she tried to dress hersele. Her hand slid down the sleeve ruffles, and the hem of the dress, trying to get it down as fast as possible... her initial joy and excitement fading into nostalga , remembering how her beloved brother had used to help her get her cloths, and even help her dress if she was especially lucky. Now, though, she felt more rushed then calm; she could not allow today to play out as it had before, that terribly painful memory playing in the back of her mind…

"Big brother… where are you going?"

"Sorry Kanako… Mom and Dad said I have to go away for a while."

"Uh… did I…upset you?"

"No! Of course not. Granny just needs somebody to take care of the inn for her while she travels. Dad just thought I should get some practice for when she gives me the inn is all."

_"… you'll remember to send me letters?"_

_"Of course. I promised I'd write to you every month, didn't I?"_

_"… and… um… our other promise?"_

_"Don't'cha worry, Kanako… once you're all grown up, you can come and help me with the inn as much as you want. Until then, you can keep Granny company."_

_"… I… I… lo…"_

_"Silly Kanako. I love you too. I'll talk to you next month."_

But those letters had never come… and it wasn't because of some goat either. She could almost see that temptress standing behind her in the mirror, mocking her with that energy and perfectly formed body. She ran from the mirror, rushing into the hallway still in her pajamas, her slippers squeaking against the floor as she came into the kitchen, seeing her mother by the stove, cooking something in a pan, while Keitaro stood there at the phone. As she rushed in with so much energy, however, every eye in the room settled on her… Mother and Father's eyebrows raised, as she felt her body tighten up, old habits and emotions stirring up.

"… you're sure you should be traveling the world at your age, Granny?.. " Keitaro continued his conversation as thought nothing happened, Kanako gravitating towards his legs as she felt the looks of her parents.

"Mother…" she began to say, only to be silenced by a sharp whisper

"… Kanako sweetie…" her mother said in a harsh whisper, barely audible above the sound of boiling fluids and Keitro's speech. "Please settle down. Your brother is having a very important conversation."

She could feel her breathing getting a little more unsteady, listening to her brother in the background, on the verge of abandoning her… something starting to well up behind her eyes. "Please…" she started, speaking as quietly as possible as she slowly knelt to the ground, kowtowing towards her parents. "Please don't send Oni-chan away. " She begged, fingers gripping for purchase on the wooden floor. Her parents just looked at her critically, her father placing a hand to his temple as he looked down from his seat.

"This is a grown-up matter." He told her flatly, shaking his head slightly. "Your brother has already failed his entrance exams twice now, and we're not going to let him stay here forever… which reminds me." Kanako's heart sank as she heard those words. "There are still the matter of your mock high school entrance exams to deal with."

Her face flushed red when she heard that, staring down at the floor. "I… I'm trying." She managed to get out, glancing up at her brother slightly ashamed… seeing him stare at her in such a position while he kept talking with Grandma. "its hard…"

"We'll talk about this later dear." Her mother continued firmly, taking her pan off the stove and starting to prepare their breakfasts. "Now, get out of those pajama's so we can all start eating."

"… not until I know Oni-chan is going to be alright." She answered with some defiance, turning her forehead up from the floor to look her mother in the eyes… or, at least, through the veil her several strands of hair. "I'm not letting you take him away from me." She heard Keitaro pausing on the phone as the room filled with silence, her father gripping the table hard.

"You won't **let** us?" His voice lowering suddenly… almost threatening. " What has gotten into you?" Kanako firmed up her limbs, her eyes still half-closed and tear filled, as she took in a deep breath.

"Its… not fair that he has to leave." She began, almost sounding guilty. "Big brother is so close to getting into Tokyo U and I…" she paused, shuddering a little in side as she tried to admit it. "… and I… I 'm never going to get into high school. If anybody should leave, it should be me." It was only then she realized she'd been speaking out of a whisper, suddenly mortified when a voice came out of the phone.

"Kanako… is that you dear?" She heard to the wise, kindly tones of her Grandmother on the other end

Almost in a panic, she saw mother rush over from the stove and snatch the phone from her son's hand. "It's nothing, Hina-sama." She forced a laugh, trying to play off the whole situation, as Kanako looked up at her brother, standing up and rushing over to his leg, clinging tight… enjoying the warmth and breathing his smell in deeply, suddenly feeling at peace.

"If Oni-chan's going, then I'm going too." She huffed, wrapping herself tighter around him, Keitaro rubbing his neck awkwardly at the air-daggers he was receiving from their father.

"You are not going to Hinata, young lady." He spoke with a strong finality, though his death-glare seemed to be focused at Keitaro instead, who was clearly starting to sweat a little

"You can't be serious …" she heard her mother say, her normally calm and reserved face agape from whatever had been said during her father's conversation and her brother's forced chuckling. Suddenly, they both stopped, looking at the phone and listening carefully.

"Of course I am." They heard Hina say from the other end. "Keeping up that old place takes a lot of work… Keitaro could use a dedicated little girl like her to help him out. Besides, its certainly safer then my son's plan to tour the world and study the family jujutsu." Now, it was her father's turn to buckle, as his wife gave him a repulsed glance.

"But Hina-sama, how is Kanako ever going to get into a good school if she can't study?" She spoke worriedly, shuffling her feet on the floor. "I will not have my daughter."

"Relax. I have a number of very gifted tenants. There's the sweetest girl, top scores in her prefecture and prospective Tokyo University student. I'm sure she wouldn't mind give you daughter a few lessons, and much cheaper than any cram school." Kanako made a disgusted face at the mention of that girl, Naru… best _and _strongest student in the prefecture, as her countless hours of data-crunching had told her.

"Please…" she looked up at her mother, her eyes wide… pleading not to turn her love over to that she-witch. At first, she seemed unsure, but slowly, surely, that cute little look melted her heard, and she let out a small groan of defeat. "Alright. If it's alright with you, Kanako can help at the inn." Placing a hand over the receiver, she gave a sharp look. "But if anything happens, I expect you to send her straight home." She told Keitaro, who nodded vigorously.

Kanako's eyes sparkled as she looked up at her brother's shinning face, humbly trying to brush off this wonderful occasional as though it were nothing. That soft, toothless smile and closed eyes told her everything she needed to know… made her feel safe. "… Oni-san…" she said sofly, respectfully as she pulled off his knee. "… will you take me?"

He laughed warmly, placing a hand on her shoulder and holding firmly, but gentle. "Of course, Kanako. Let's look out for each other and make the most of it."

"It's a promise." She answered as she leaned in… planting a small, seemingly innocent kiss on his hip.


End file.
